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He's the Green Ninja. He's Ninjago's savior, he has to kill his father.
The weight of the world rests on his shoulders, hot, heavy and uncomfortable. If he fails Ninjago falls. If he fails, everyone is doomed.
He doesn't want to fight his father.
He doesn't want to be the Green Ninja, but it's destiny, no matter what he does he cant stop it, time goes on and he's the only one who can stop his father, he cant sit back, he doesn't have a choice.
He's never had much of a choice about anything in his life.
He purses his lips, pulling his hood over his head. The Ninja are training, Sensei is meditating, and he quite honestly doesn't know where Nya is, but it should be easy enough to slip away unnoticed.
So he does, he sneaks off the bounty and scurries off into the city, alone, because he needs time to himself.
He needs time where he isn't being reminded of his inescapable destiny.
He wanders aimlessly down the streets of Ninjago City numbly, almost tripping over his own feet.
He doesn't know where he's going, he doesn't really care. It's cold and dark, he kind of wants to go back, but he doesn't.
He misses his Father.
He sniffles, rubbing tired eyes. He doesn't know what time it is, he doesn't care. He doesnt know how long he's been gone either.
He stumbles and falls, knees and hands hitting the ground hard, feeling concrete scratch up his palms. He hisses. He doesnt move. He doesn't know if he can. He's so tempted to just submit to everything he's feeling, and just lay on the ground until he inevitably gets kidnapped or killed, or maybe even found by the Ninja's.
His arms are shaking.
Thunder roars overhead.
A sob tears it's way through his throat and past his lips. It's too much, it's all too much.
It starts to rain.
He lowers his head to the ground, rain soaking through his hood and messy blond hair, and he cries. He wonders if anyone has noticed he's missing yet. He doubts it.
He' crying, hard, he can barely even breath, choking on his sobs. He wonders if there are people walking by who wre just ignoring him. There probably are.
Spit flies from his lips as he chokes again, beginning to gag and heave. He can't breath. He can't breath. He throws up, bile spilling put of his mouth, leaving a gross after taste in his mouth that he most definitely that he doesn't like.
He desperately pushes himself up so he's sitting and away from his vomit with shaking arms, face streaked with tears and rain.
He's panicking.
His hands hurt, his throat burns. He wants to go back to the bounty but he doesn't know where he is. He's lost and alone in the cold and rain.
His hood clings to his head, wet and uncomfortable, but he doesn't want to take it off.
He wants the Ninja.
He wants his brothers.
But he sits there and cries, cries because he's still so young and scared and he doesn't know what else to do.
It feels like he's sitting there forever, crying and unable to breath, when he hears from somewhere behind him, "Lloyd?"
He gets to his knees and turns, almost slipping and falling flat on his face. Its Jay, standing there in the pouring rain with wide eyes. "Ja-ay-" Lloyd gasps, coughing.
Jay drops to his knees in front of him and pulls him close to his chest, arms wrapping around him. "Shit- Kid, are you okay? How long have you been out here? Is that vomit?"
Lloyd presses his face into Jay's chest, sobbing with renewed strength. "Du-unno." He hiccups, grabbing fistfuls of the Blue Ninja's gi.
Jay has one hand resting on his back, and the other on the back of his neck, gentle and comforting.
"We were worried sick." Jay sighs, shifting him so he's in the Lightning masters lap. "You cant just leave like that without telling anyone, especially at night, something could have happened to you."
Lloyd only sniffles softly, and Jay shifts his hold on him and stands, holding him now. Lloyd wraps his legs around his brothers waist and arms around his neck on instinct, not wanting to be dropped, although he doubts that Jay would have dropped him if he didn't do that.
The older Ninja summons his plane with his Golden Weapon. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, as it was most definitely not meant for two people, but Lloyd stays on his lap, still clinging to him, so it wasn't too bad.
He headrs the communicator start up, and Nya's voice fills the silence. "Jay, you- oh-" her voice fills with relief. "You found him."
"Yeah." Jay sighs. He wasn't holding Lloyd anymore, focusing on steering the plane so they didnt crash, and he buries his face in his shoulder. "Let everyone know, we'll be back at the bounty in a minute."
"Will do. See you both soon." Nya responds softly, and the communicator shuts off.
"Is there anything you want to talk about before we get back home?" Jay asks him, gentle and coaxing. Lloyd hesitates, and then simply shrugs, because in all honesty, he just wants to stop thinking about it.
"Okay, that's understandable. You don't have to talk about anything until you're ready, okay?" Jay continues, and Lloyd nods against his neck. He's glad that at least one person won't push him for details on why he left.
It seems like it takes mere seconds for them to reach the bounty, and Lloyd's feet still don't touch the ground after the plane disappears, Jay is still holding him. "Kids soaked, gonna get him a change of clothes." Jay tells someone, Lloyd doesn't see who, but he doesn't care at the moment.
A gruff, "Okay, I'll let Sensei know." Tells him that its Cole. Lloyd curls into Jay more.
Jay shifts him a little, and Lloyd loosens his grip so that the older Ninja can move him to rest on his hip instead, you know, like a baby, but for once, Lloyd doesnt mind the babying.
"You got clothes you can change into?" Jay asks once their in their room of the bounty. He feels his heart sink, because when he got kicked out of Darkley's he hadnt been able to keep any of his stuff. "No."
Jay sighs again. "Damn, okay.." he starts to rifle through his own clothes. Lloyd stiffens slightly. "It'll be big on you, but it's all we can do for now. I'll have to make sure to talk to Sensei about getting you some new clothes." He pulls out a shirt, and some gym shorts that look a little small.
He sets Lloyd down and gives him privacy to change, and almost immediately scoops him back up afterwards. The Green Ninja doesn't protest, instead, he just leans into Jay.
He brings him back out onto the deck of the bounty where all the others are waiting. He curls into the Blue Ninja.
"What were you thinking!" Kai explodes, ever the hot head. "God, you just left without telling anyone. We didn't know where you were, and then it started raining and-" he cuts himself off, and Lloyd turns to look at him despite the anxiety shooting through at him.
He looks upset, wet hair sticking to his face. Zane places his hand on his shoulder. "We understand if you need to have time to yourself Lloyd, but please, talk to someone about it first."
He just nods and tucks his face back into Jay's neck, because looking at all their worried faces is making him even more upset.
"What made you want to leave, nephew?" Sensei asks, and he tenses up.
"He said he doesn't want to talk about it." Jay states softly after a moment of silence. "I.. I think it would be best for him to get some sleep right now."
There are mumbles of agreements and soft "Goodnight Lloyd's", and then he's being carried back into their shared room.
He's set on the bed, and he realizes just how tired he is. Jay rubs his eyes and steps back, and it hits him that they all must be tired too, especially after training. He feels bad for making them go out and look for him.
"Kay, kid, try to get some rest alright? I bet you're really tired and you need it." He sighs, ruffling blond hair. "And about what Zane said, seriously, talk to me if you need to get out, or just need anything, I'm here for you."
Lloyd blinks. He thinks he might cry again. He thinks he might take Jay up on that offer soon, because there are a lot of things he needs to talk about. But he just nods, breathing out a soft, raspy "thank you."
Jay tucks him in and pushes his hair out of his face, and he leans into it, because he's never really had family around to do that.
The Blue Ninja just smiles kindly at him, yawning a little. "Goodnight, Lloyd, I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight Jay."
He gets a peaceful sleep that night.